Demand for rapid travel, convenient transactions, and intelligent automated chat systems: The preferences of UAE travelers in the year 2025
In a report by Dutch payment company Ayden, the preferences of UAE travelers in 2025 are highlighted, emphasizing a shift towards experience-rich journeys focusing on culture, nature, events, and unique adventures, rather than just iconic landmarks.
According to the report, 34% of surveyed guests want to complete their booking and pay quickly and easily, and over 41% want travel companies to invest in self-check-in and check-out kiosks. This emphasis on speed and simplicity is not limited to the booking process, as AI is reshaping travel from planning to in-trip support.
The trend towards luxury and premium tourism continues strongly, with high-spending tourists seeking exclusive and curated experiences. The UAE’s role as a global hub for connecting flights, safety, modern hospitality, and world-class infrastructure strengthens its appeal for business, leisure, and event travelers alike.
Mega-events and entertainment tourism remain significant draws, with major events like international festivals, sporting competitions, and conferences driving hotel demand and creating niche tourism opportunities such as festival packages and corporate retreats.
To cater to these evolving preferences, hospitality businesses are embracing AI to streamline operations and enhance personalisation with virtual assistants and chatbots. Lennert de Jong, CEO of hotel chain Citizen M, underscores the importance of considering payment technology as a crucial part of the guest experience.
The report suggests that while older travellers prioritize familiar payment methods, younger travellers prefer digital wallets, buy now, pay later (BNPL), and app-based options. Sixty-eight percent of hotel consumers have used an AI assistant for travel-related decisions, although trust remains an issue for older generations regarding the use of AI assistants in travel.
Some travellers prefer not to carry cash while on their trip, and in response, hospitality businesses should offer flexible, multi-currency pricing and support for digital payment methods. Half of hospitality businesses already offer self-service options, and 50% of enterprises believe that AI-powered personalisation will shape the travel industry in 2025.
In summary, UAE travelers in 2025 prefer cultural, nature-based, and event-centric experiences over generic sightseeing, participate in mega-events and festivals that enhance hospitality demand, luxury and exclusive experiences aligned with higher spending, and seamless, tech-enabled self-service options and AI assistant interactions enhancing travel convenience and personalization. These trends reflect a broader repositioning of the UAE tourism sector to cater to sophisticated, experience-oriented travelers while leveraging AI and digital services to improve the hospitality journey.
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